My frustration with the NRA and other RKBA activist organizations

[SCKimberFan]

Obviously, politics doesn't work that way - there are compromises that must be involved. I give you Ron Paul as an example. If all the gun owners (60,000,000 by some reports) have voted in the R primary for him, he would be the obvious candidate, but there are other issues that concern people, most are not single issue voters, and he oviously didn't appeal to those issues.

If not the NRA, then who would you have to lobby and promote the RKBA?

 

[jaholder1971]

The OP's a gunowner who's bought into the Democrat "The NRa is evil" mantra.

It's National RIFLE association, not National Republican Association.

As an aside for the OP: It is well established law that one is subject to the loss of his citizenship should he/she decide to leave this country and take up arms for another. Many U.S. citizens are now French citizens only because they decided it would be neat to join the French Foreign Legion, and they're on OUR side.

So you're not going to see many supporters for Haamdi or Lindh for leaving this country, taking up arms for another fighting AGAINST the U.S., nor should you.

 

[alsaqr]

Another "excuse" thread about not joining the NRA. Just what we needed.

FWIW, most NRA members probably don't really mind the freeloaders, but we'd sure appreciate it if they'd pipe down about it.

+1

That sums it up well.

 

[LKB3rd]

If not the NRA, then who would you have to lobby and promote the RKBA?

Gun owners of America
I also take personal responsibility for advocating for my rights, and go out and do it myself. I don't get to waltz into the front row at sessions of congress without waiting in line for hours like the lobbyists. But, each person can make a difference without giving their money to someone else, and deciding that they can go watch the game, because they are not "freeloading" any more.

 

[JohnBT]

"In my opinion they should be saying "No. No. No. SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED." Then they should rally their members to throw spaz fits against these laws.
... The Gun owners of America is an organization that I do support, because they are more of a no compromise group."

Now come on, be serious, who in Congress or the Executive Branch is going to listen to a bunch of people throwing fits? That's what GOA does with their slapdash e-mails and they aren't taken seriously in D.C. or the state capitals.

Yeah, let's not participate in the process of drafting bills and influencing legislation. Let's just sit back, throw fits and allow the government to draft bills without any meaningful input from gun owners.

John

 

[.38 Special]

I guess I won't say anything negative about GOA or any other like-minded group. I support any constructive efforts toward supporting the 2nd amendment.

I will say, though, that the NRA is responsible for countless successes in the fight over the course of many decades. All other groups combined are responsible for a bare fraction of those successes.

 

[Feanaro]

Belus,

We've already established the problems you have with the NRA. The merits of your complaints can be argued to death but there's little to gain there. Criticising criticisms rarely convinces either side and nothing new comes of it.

Instead, I challenge you to tell us how it can be fixed. Give us a point by point breakdown of your problems and then tell us how to fix them. It's better, and harder, to be part of the solution than it is to complain from the peanut gallery.

 

[macadore]

I challenge you to tell us how it can be fixed. Give us a point by point breakdown of your problems and then tell us how to fix them. It's better, and harder, to be part of the solution than it is to complain from the peanut gallery.

They could begin by replacing Wayne LaPierre with someone like Harlon Carter or Neal Knox. Then they could get rid of people like Joaquin Jackson. Finally, they could stop accepting money and marching orders from organizations that make their livelihood by manufacturing and selling firearms and firearms accessories. These organizations only care about their bottom line. They do not care about the individual’s right to keep and bare arms.

I will rejoin when the NRA makes a serious attempt to repeal the machine gun ban, and not before. I don’t expect that to happen.

 

[mbt2001]

They could begin by replacing Wayne LaPierre with someone like Harlon Carter or Neal Knox. Then they could get rid of people like Joaquin Jackson. Finally, they could stop accepting money and marching orders from organizations that make their livelihood by manufacturing and selling firearms and firearms accessories. These organizations only care about their bottom line. They do not care about the individual’s right to keep and bare arms.

I will rejoin when the NRA makes a serious attempt to repeal the machine gun ban, and not before. I don’t expect that to happen.

What about sending us all $1,000.00 "rebate checks"???

Anything else you want? I mean, since you refuse to participate, why should anyone listen to your compliants and issues? That is like going to Walmart and saying "I don't shop here, but if you would stop (fill in blank here) then I MIGHT".

How do you know that gun companies only care about the "bottom line". If they wanted to make money, they would be in another business. It is barely a billion dollar a year industry including accessories and ammo.

What have you done for RKBA? I doubt if it is as much as the NRA / GOA / Ruger and the other gun companies that "only care about their bottom line".

If you want to change things you have to get involved. Our political system is daunting, but it is certainly easy to get involved. Changes are hard fought, but they are all the sweeter when they succeed.

 

[SCKimberFan]

Please people - It is BEAR arms, not bare arms!

 

[mbt2001]

Please people - It is BEAR arms, not bare arms!

 

[LKB3rd]

Now come on, be serious, who in Congress or the Executive Branch is going to listen to a bunch of people throwing fits? That's what GOA does with their slapdash e-mails and they aren't taken seriously in D.C. or the state capitals.

Yeah, let's not participate in the process of drafting bills and influencing legislation. Let's just sit back, throw fits and allow the government to draft bills without any meaningful input from gun owners.

And when they draft the latest gun control bill they say, "This bill is supported by the NRA." What if they were forced to say "The NRA told us that this is unconstitutional, and told us to go jump in a lake." Force them to write their unconstitutional laws on their own, and call a spade a spade. It would be a hell of a lot harder to pass them without their "endorsed by the NRA" stamp.

 

[macadore]

Please people - It is BEAR arms, not bare arms!

Sorry. I let it slip through the spell checker.

 

[macadore]

What have you done for RKBA? I doubt if it is as much as the NRA / GOA / Ruger and the other gun companies that "only care about their bottom line".

If you want to change things you have to get involved. Our political system is daunting, but it is certainly easy to get involved. Changes are hard fought, but they are all the sweeter when they succeed.

Someone asked what could be done to fix the situation and I told them. If you don’t like my answer, that’s fine, but don’t change the subject. Stick to the subject and argue facts rather than personalities, if you can.

We had the Second Amendment long before there was an NRA. The NRA types saying they are the only reason any of us have firearms is just egotistical chest thumping. It would be like the pro life group saying they are the only reason any of us were born.

 

[.38 Special]

We had the Second Amendment long before there was an NRA. The NRA types saying they are the only reason any of us have firearms is just egotistical chest thumping. It would be like the pro life group saying they are the only reason any of us were born.

And the 2nd amendment was not under attack until long after the NRA was founded.

Frankly, anyone who rejects the idea that the NRA has been instrumental in preserving 2A rights simply has not looked into the matter.

 

[macadore]

Frankly, anyone who rejects the idea that the NRA has been instrumental in preserving 2A rights simply has not looked into the matter.

I joined Harlon Carter’s NRA when it stood for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. I quit Wayne LaPierre’s NRA when it endorsed the Machinegun Ban and tried to tell gun owners it was a victory for the RKBA because people who sold ammo would have to do less paperwork. The latter increased the bottom line for those who sold ammo; the former was the worst disaster for gun owners in the history of the U.S. As Neal Knox noted, for the first time in U.S. history, the government banned the manufacture and sale of a type of firearm. It did so with the help of the NRA. We blinked and there was an “assault rifle” ban and a ban on high capacity magazines. The NRA supported Machine Gun ban still stands and the NRA is doing nothing to undo the damage it did. Don’t bother repeating the NRA propaganda. I didn’t believe it at the time and still don’t. The NRA sold the farm out from under us and gun owners got very little for it.

I was a member for over ten years when that happened and was seriously considering a life membership. If the NRA needed additional money, I was always there and additional fifty to one hundred dollars. I was very involved. I wrote several letters to them about the machinegun ban which were ignored. The NRA didn’t listen to me. It listened to the ammo sellers who gave them exponentially more money than I could afford. Don’t tell me I am uninformed and to join and get involved. I am through following that Judas Goat.

Back to the OP, the NRA sends all kinds of questionnaires designed to stampede the sheep. It never sends a questionnaire to honestly solicit your opinion. If it did, it might have to listen to you. That would never do.

One more thing, there are substantially more gun owners than there are NRA members. When we vote anti-gun politicians out of office, the NRA runs over itself claiming the credit. I know Joe Biden’s position on firearms and will vote against him. The NRA has nothing to do with my decision.

Finally, I realize many of you will respond with emotional arguments and personal attacks. You will have to because you cannot argue from a factual logical position. Arguments like that are wastes of time. We can call each other names indefinitely and not accomplish anything. As Joe Friday said, “just the facts”.

 

[BruceRDucer]

You need a box of Kleenex

/
Belus,

I'm so sympathetic to your proposition, I recognize your need for a box of Kleenex.

But that stuff you wrote about caring about the Bill of Rights, is not consistent with your politics.

Liberalism is not a political ideology concerned with citizen's rights or civil liberties.

The majority of liberalism's advocates oppose individual rights and attempt to subjugate individual civil liberties to the power of the state.

/

/

 

[.38 Special]

The NRA types saying they are the only reason any of us have firearms is just egotistical chest thumping.

I realize many of you will respond with emotional arguments and personal attacks. You will have to because you cannot argue from a factual logical position. Arguments like that are wastes of time.

If anyone asks, that's why I quit discussing it with you. Have a nice day.